When Iraq’s Saddam Hussein invaded neighboring Kuwait in August 1990 he assured that more than 200 residents of Northeastern Minnesota would spend much of the next winter in the deserts of Saudi Arabia and Kuwait.

After months of negotiations failed to persuade the Iraqis to withdraw, America and its allies began an intense aerial attack on Jan. 17, 1991. The following month, allied forces began a land assault, and the war ended in a few days with Iraqi capitulation.

Because of the brevity of the war, American casualties were relatively light – with fewer than 400 dying. Only one of those was from St. Louis, Lake, Cook or Carlton counties – Lawrence N. Welch of Chisholm, who was a member of the Duluth-based 109th Light Equipment Maintenance Company.

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